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PUSS-IN-BOOTS, Jr. 
In New Mother Goose Land 
By DAVID CORY (IerSis) 


Harper & Brothers 

Establislied 1817 


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PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 

IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


Books by 

DAVID CORY 

PUSS IN BOOTS, Jr., AND OLD MOTHER GOOSE 
PUSS IN BOOTS, Jr., IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 
THE ADVENTURES OF PUSS IN BOOTS, Jr. 
FURTHER ADVENTURES OF PUSS IN BOOTS, Jr. 
PUSS IN BOOTS, Jr., IN FAIRYLAND 
TRAVELS OF PUSS IN BOOTS, Jr. 


HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK 
[Est.\bushed 1817] 


RissinBootsIc 


in New Mother Goose Land 

by DavicfJCory • 



Harper © Brothers.Publishcrs 




Puss IN Boots, Jr., in New Mother Goose Land 


Copyright, 1919, by Harper & Brothers 
Printed in the United States of America 
Published August, 1920 

Q-V 


AUfi ^8 IbzU 

©CI,A576199 


CONTENTS 




PAGE 

Young Mother Goose 1 

What the Rooster Said 4 

The Hat House 7 

Pinky-toe Song 10 

Young Mother Hubbard 13 

Puss Goes Sailing in an Air-ship 16 

The Silvery Voice in the Sky 19 

A Day in Port 22 

The Pretty Dressmaker 26 

Candy Town Ferry 29 

The Little Blue Chauffeur 32 

The Little Dapple Motor-car 35 

Waking the Princess , 38 

Jack and Jill 41 

New Man in the Moon 44 

The Trolley-car 47 

Queerville 50 

Shooting-stars 53 

Dapple Gray Was Balky 56 

Hot Catnip Tea 59 

Yankee Doodle Up in the Air 62 

Mary Had a Little Pom 65 

Lots of Things Happen 68 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Poor Moon! 71 

Back to the Sawdust Ring 74 

Don’t Tell a Lie 77 

The Silver-fish 80 

Home to the Old Farm 83 

Puss Has a Narrow Escape 86 

King Coal and King Cinder 89 

The Tale of Sir Launcelot 92 

The Foolish Miller 95 

More about Rock-a-by Baby 98 

The Fly-man 101 

The Mouse-chase 104 

The Little Gold Ring 107 

A Cheerful Disposition 110 

Peter Reforms 114 

The Yellow Bird 117 

Sing a Song of Cookies . 120 


PUSS IN BOOTS. JR., IN 
NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


YOUNG MOTHER GOOSE 

N OW let me see. The book before this, 
Puss in Boots, Jr., and Old Mother Goose, 
ended just as Goosey, Goosey Gander flew away 
when the hungry fox sprang out from behind a 
tree. And then you remember Puss drew his 
sword, and the fox didn’t wait to say even good- 
by, but ran away as fast as he could. So Puss 
went bravely on, and as he entered the wood 
he saw a sign on which was printed in large 
letters : 

MOTOR GOOSE ROAD 
NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 

“What, do automobiles travel through here!” 
said Puss; but nobody answered him, so he kept 
right on and by and by he came to a little red 
house from the chimney of which the smoke 
was curling upward like a long black feather. 
As he stopped at the gate an angry hiss greeted 
his ears, and there stood a large gander who 
1 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


looked for all the world just like Old Mother 
Goose’s Gander on which Puss himself had so 
often ridden. 

“Aren’t you Old Mother Goose’s Gander 
he asked. 

“No, I’m not, my good Sir Cat. Who are 



you, pray, to ask such a question?” and then 
that pompous Gander looked at him as much 
as to say, “You’re very inquisitive.” 

“I’m a traveler,” answered Puss, Junior, 
proudly, “and my name is Puss in Boots, Junior. 
Mav I ask who lives here?” 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


Well, when he heard who Puss was, the Gander 
bowed most politely and said: 

“Young Mother Goose, when she wishes to fly, 

Rides in her air-ship over the sky. 

She owns this red house and the woods and the lake. 

And she makes taffy candy and bakes ginger cake. 

“I am her Gander and always cry, ‘Quack!’ 

If any one even peeks in through a crack. 

I stand by the door or near by on the grass 
And never allow anybody to pass. 

“She has a boy Bill, a youngster of ten, 

Who gets into mischief and then out again. 

She sent him to buy her an aeronaut’s hat. 

But he bought a live goose that was downy and fat. 

“The Goose learned quite quickly to sweep with a broom. 
And helps Billy’s mother to clean every room. 

And I and the Goose grew friendly at once, 

Although she seems often a good-natured dunce. 

“And Bill and his mother love us to a feather 
And take us along when they go out together. 

And sometimes I try, and sometimes the Goose, 

To race with the air-ship when Bill turns us loose. 

“x\nd often, when flying along at our best. 

Some downy white feathers will fall from our breast. 
And then all the children out playing below 
Think that the clouds are dropping down snow.” 

And now, my dear children, if ever s^ou should 
Find a little Red House near a lake in the wood. 

And see a big gander come hissing toward you, 
you’ll know that my Young Mother Goose tale is true! 

3 


WHAT THE ROOSTER SAID 


T me see; in the last story we left little 



Puss, Junior, at Young Mother Goose’s 
house in the woods. Well, after the Gander 
had told him all the news. Puss trudged along 
until he came to a large barn-yard, and as soon 
as the rooster saw our small traveler he com- 
menced to crow: 


“ Cock-a-doodle do, 

The Mare has lost her shoe. 

And Mrs. Pig has bought a wig 
As all the ladies do, 

“She says, ‘I’m now in style!’ 

With a piggy-wiggy smile. 

While all we Barn-yard Folk 
Consider her a joke!” 


Well, you should have heard the noise after 
that. Mrs. Pig was furious, and she ran up to 
the gate where I uss stood and began to tell him 
what a disagT 3cable person the rooster was. 
Now Puss, because he had traveled so much, 
had grown to be very wise, so instead of laugh- 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


ing at Mrs. Pig, who really felt dreadfully em- 
barrassed, he said, with a grin: 



“Oh, never, never mind, 

Mrs. Pig, if they’re unkind. 
Wliy shouldn’t you, my dear. 
Wear a curl behind each ear? 
5 



PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


“Mrs. Hen will wear a comb 
Wherever she may roam; 

Though it’s funny, I declare. 

When she hasn’t any hair! 

“Mr. Horse will answer neigh 
When you offer him some hay! 

So it doesn’t seem so queer 
You should want a wig, my dear. 

“Looks to me as though the joke 
Was on the other Barn-yard Folk!” 

“Do you really think so.?” said Mrs. Pig in a 
relieved tone of voice, while all the Barn-yard 
Folk looked extremely uncomfortable. 

Then Puss turned to them and said: “If I 
were you I would not make fun of Mrs. Pig, for 
she is not the only Pig in Mother Goose who 
wanted a wig. I remember upon my way to 
Bonner I met a Pig without a wig, upon my 
word and honor. But I must be going. Good- 
by!” and Puss, Junior, bowed and continued 
his way along Motor Goose Road until some- 
thing happened, but what it was I shall have 
to wait until the next story to tell you. 


THE HAT HOUSE 


“T^VERYTHING seems so strange,” said 
JLJ Puss to himself as he trudged along 
Motor Goose Road. ‘T declare, I can’t find 
Old Mother Goose’s house anywhere. I re- 
member so well the little owl who marched up 
and down like a sentinel.” 

You see. Puss, Junior, didn’t know that he 
was now in New Mother Goose Land, where 
automobiles and airships were just as common 
as were wagons and balloons in the old days. 
Ah me! How time flies! 

Well, as I was saying, little Puss marched 
along and by and by he came to a pretty lake 
by the side of which was a very strange-looking 
house. It was almost as strange as the Shoe 
House where lived the old woman who had so 
many children she didn’t know what to do. 
And as Puss looked more closely he saw it was 
a Hat House. And just then the parrot who 
was in a cage outside the door began to sing this 
funny song: 

“There was an old woman who lived in a hat. 

She had a bulldog and a fat tabby-cat; 

She gave them some broth and a piece of rye bread. 
And patted them both and sent them to bed.” 

7 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 

And just as the parrot finished, who should 
come out of the hat but the old woman herself, 
and when she saw Puss she said, ‘‘Puss in Boots, 
Junior, as sure as I’m a foot high!” 



‘‘You are right, ma’am,” he said, bowing low, 
“And have you put your two pets to bed?” 

“Yes, I have,” she answered. And just then 
a bark was heard from one of the upper windows 
and there stood the bulldog with his nightcap on. 

“Helloa, Mr. Bulldog,” said Puss. And all 
of a sudden at another window appeared the 
fat tabby-cat, who waved her paw and said: 

8 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


“Twinkle, twinkle, little star, 

Here’s a cat who’s traveled far.” 

This, of course, made Puss, Junior, feel very 
proud, and when the old woman said she would 
let her two pets come down for a while, as it 
wasn’t often that they had so famous a visitor, 
why, of course, he felt prouder than ever. 

But he couldn’t stay very long, for it was near 
the end of the day, and he knew that he must 
find a place to rest for the night, and as the Hat 
House was only large enough for the old woman 
and her two pets, he presently bade them good- 
by and continued his journey of adventure. 

There was a very pretty path on the edge of 
the lake, and so, instead of returning to Motor 
Goose Road, Puss went this way, and by and 
by, just as the first evening star appeared in the 
sky and the shadows began to creep out of the 
woods, he came to a pretty cottage on a hill, 
where the breezes never stood still, but blew the 
red roses that grew by the gate to and fro, to 
and fro, from early till late. And then he heard 
a voice singing a sweet little song, but what it 
was you must wait to hear in the next story. 


PINKY-TOE SONG 


W ELL, the pretty song which I told you in 
the last story, Puss, Junior, heard as he 
stood outside the cottage on the hill, was this: 

“You’ve five little toes on your left foot. 

You’ve five little toes on your right; 

Two of those tootsies are bigger 
And two of them smaller quite. 

And why should I not love pinky, 

And why shouldn’t pinky love me. 

Oh, why should I not love pinky. 

As well as any bodie?” 

Then Puss, Junior, peeked into the window 
and saw a pretty lady rocking her little boy to 
sleep. His feet were bare, and she played with 
his toes. One, two, out of the shoe! Three, 
four, off of the floor! One more, Mr. Big Toe, 
he’s the father of all, you know! 

But the little boy didn’t want to go to sleep. 
He would close his eyes and then open them, 
and all of a sudden he saw Puss looking in 
through the window, and after that of course he 
wouldn’t even lie still. So his mother opened 
10 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


the door and invited Puss in and he and the 
baby had a roly-poly time on the floor until the 
baby pulled off one of Puss, Junior’s, boots, so 



his mother picked him up and put him back in 
the crib. 

Then Puss cuddled up on a cushion and went 
to sleep, and when he woke up it was morning, 
2 11 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


but the baby wasn’t awake. So Puss tiptoed 
out of the room and into the kitchen, where he 
had a fine breakfast, and after that he said 
good-by and started off again, and after a while 
he came to a little brook where a duck was turn- 
ing somersaults to catch the little fish tliat 
darted here and there. 

“Oh, Mr. Duck, won’t you take me over the 
water, for I can’t jump across and I don’t want 
to swim!” So the duck came up close to the 
bank and Puss, Junior, sat on her back and she 
swam across with him. 

“Here’s a penny for you,” and Puss handed 
her a bright penny, which she took in her bill 
and then tucked away in a little pocket in her 
apron. “Can you tell me where Old Mother 
Goose’s house is.?” he asked. 

“I can tell you where Young Mother Goose 
lives,” she replied. “It’s over yonder in the 
woods.” 

“Oh, I know that,” said Puss, “for I passed 
it on my journey. In fact, I made a call. But 
I want to find dear Old Mother Goose.” 

“Sorry I don’t know,” said the Duck, swim- 
ming away and waving her tail back and forth. 

Then Puss whistled a tune to keep up his 
spirits and went upon his way, but he didn’t 
find Old Mother Goose, for he was still in New 
Mother Goose Land, although he didn’t know it. 


YOUNG MOTHER HUBBARD 


W ELL, as Puss in Boots, Junior, traveled 
along he came to a pretty cottage. And 
do you know, it was where Young Mother Hub- 
bard lived. There were lovely roses climbing 
all over the front porch, and a row of sunflowers 
along the back fence, and a little gold weather- 
cock on the summer-house, and a nice dog-kennel 
near the kitchen door, and a little automobile 
standing by the front gate, and just as Puss 
looked in through the front window 

Young Mother Hubbard 
Went to her cupboard, 

But wouldn’t give doggie a bone. 

She said, “You must wait till I get you a plate 
Of vanilla ice-cream in a cone!” 

But Towser said, “Bow!” 

And Towser said, “AVow! 

Your ice-cream I really can’t take! 

I’m a hearty canine; with a hunger like mine 
I much prefer porterhouse steak!” 

So Young Mother Hubbard 
Then shut up her cupboard 

And put on her dress of pale blue. 

“Come, doggie, let’s go to a nice ‘movie show,* 
That’s something I know will please you!” 

13 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


“Ha, ha!” said Puss, Junior. “So they are 
going to a moving -picture show. I guess I’ll 



jump in the automobile and hide so they won’t 
see me when they come out.” He had no sooner 
done this than out ran little Mother Hubbard 
14 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


and jumped into the automobile and started off, 
Towser running along and barking with delight. 

But, alas! and a-day! 

When they’d gone but half-way 
Her doggie went chasing a cat. 

While the poor little maid was greatly dismayed. 

Not knowing just where she was at. 

Twas not very long. 

Cause he knew he was wrong. 

That Towser turned round on his track; 

“You naughty bad dear!” and she patted his ear — 
But pussy-cat never came back! 

And then Puss, Junior, stood up in the auto- 
mobile and showed himself for the first time. 
And what do you suppose Young Mother Hub- 
bard did.^ Why, she laughed and said: “You 
shall go automobiling with me, Mr. Puss. You 
and your red-topped boots and your sword!” 
And Towser barked and barked, but Puss didn’t 
care, for he was sitting on the front seat with 
Miss Hubbard, enjoying himself, for, would you 
believe it, this was the first time he had ever 
been automobiling! 


PUSS GOES SAILING IN AN AIR-SHIP 


T SAW a ship a-sailing, 

A-sailing in the sky, 

And past the clouds of silver white 
It went a-racing by. 

Its wings were made of purple silk 
As shimmery as could be, 

And it was full of pretty things 
For baby and for me. 

There were chocolates in the cabin, 

And apples in the hold; 

And round the big propeller spun 
Just like a wheel of gold. 

The four-and-twenty sailors 
Were doves of milky white; 

The captain was a downy goose 
With feathers snowy bright. 

And when the air-ship came about 
Upon the sea of blue. 

The four-and-twenty little doves 
Began to softly coo. 

And then the air-ship descended, much to the 
delight of Puss, Junior, who, as I told in the last 

16 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


story, was now traveling in New Mother Goose 
I-and. 

“Ahoy there, Sir Cat!” and Captain Downy 



Goose leaned over the rail of his air-ship. ‘ ‘ W ould 
you like to sail the sky-blue sea with ine.^” 
And you don’t suppose for a minute that Puss, 
Junior, said no! Well, in he jumped, red- 
17 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


topped boots and all, and in a little while they 
were flying over the tree-tops. The little dove 
sailors trimmed the sails and scrubbed the decks, 
and every now and then went down into the 
hold and brought up chocolates and apples. 
And the captain’s wife and baby ate the choco- 
lates, and Puss, Junior, and Captain Downy 
Goose ate the apples! 

“This is the first time I’ve ever been in an 
air-ship,” laughed Puss, turning to the captain, 
whose bill was just biting off a big piece of apple 
so that he couldn’t reply for a few minutes. So 
Puss didn’t wait, but went on to say, “I’ve been 
up in a balloon and with the old lady who rode 
on a broom to sweep the cobwebs off the sky.” 

“You don’t tell me!” exclaimed the captain, 
who had by this time eaten the apple. “ And 
did you like it.^” 

“Well, not as much as I did riding with Old 
Mother Goose on her Gander,” said Puss. “Do 
you know, I’ve been trying to find her little 
house in the woods, but I’ve made a mistake, 
somehow. I’m in New Mother Goose Land, but 
I don’t see how I got here.” 

“Don’t let that worry you,” replied the 
Goose. 

And what they did after that I’ll tell you in 
the next story. 


THE SILVERY VOICE IN THE SKY 


D O you remember bow in the last story Puss, 
Junior, went air-ship-riding with the goose 
captain and the four and twenty sailor doves? 
Well, they went on and on until nightfall, when 
up in the sky came the beautiful silver Moon. 
But how different it looked, thought Puss, 
Junior. Not a bit like the Moon in Old Mother 
Goose Land with the good-natured Moon Man 
leaning out of his little window. And then our 
little hero stood up on his tiptoes in his pretty 
red-topped boots and said this little poem. And 
isn’t it strange that he should have said just 
the kind of poetry that belonged to New Mother 
Goose Land? 

‘‘Glitter, glitter, Silver Moon, 

In the sky a big balloon! 

Tell me where you are all day. 

Where’s the place you hide away? 

“It is easy for the Sun, 

When the Day his race has run. 

In the shadows of the Night 
To conceal his golden light. 

19 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


“But to me it does seem queer 
How you hide when all is clear! 

There’s no closets I can spy 
Anywhere up in the sky.” 

Then a silvery voice replied, and it sounded 
strangely like the Man in the Moon’s voice, but 
Puss wasn’t quite sure: 



‘‘Some day I will tell you, little Puss, Junior. 
Perhaps when you have been in New Mother 
Goose Land for a year!” and then the only 
sound to be heard was the tinkle of the stars 
and the whir of the air-ship’s propeller. 

20 



IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


“You had better come into the cabin,’’ said 
the captain’s wife, “for the dew will be falling 
soon and you will get damp.” So Puss followed 
her inside where it was warm and cozy. 

You remember, of course, that the captain’s 
wife was a goose and that the captain was a 
gander, and the four-and-twenty sailors were 
little white doves. Well, after supper the doves 
sang such a soft little lullaby that the captain’s 
wife cuddled up her baby gosling and went sound 
to sleep. And pretty soon Puss felt his eyelids 
drooping, and before long he was in the land of 
dreams, and he thought he had wings and was 
flying through the air by the side of Goosey, 
Goosey Gander. By and by he came to the 
castle of my Lord of Carabas, where his father, 
the famous Puss in Boots, was Seneschal. And 
he flew into the window and sat on the foot 
of the bed. But at first he was afraid to waken 
his old father, so he sat there wondering what 
to do. And after a little while he took the 
feather off his cap and tickled his father’s nose 
very softly and then the old gentleman cat 
opened his eyes. “My dear son! Have you 
come home at last.^” 

And then all of a sudden Puss, Junior, awoke 
to find that he had fallen asleep in the air-shij). 


A DAY IN PORT 



ELL, I declare,” exclaimed Captain 


Downy Goose, as little Puss, Junior, 


appeared on deck the next morning, “you’re 
up bright and early!” And why shouldn’t Puss 
be up, I should like to know, when you remem- 
ber in the last story he went to bed at the same 
time the captain’s wife put the baby to sleep, 
and that was pretty early, although the time in 
New Mother Goose Land is not quite the same 
as it is in our country. 

Well, just then, as Puss looked over the side 
of the air-ship, he saw the Sun rising in the east, 
and then, all of a sudden. 

The Man in the Sun looked out of the Sun, 
Looked out of the Sun and said, 

“’Tis time for all children upon the earth 
To be tumbling out of bed!” 

And as the air-ship was now skimming along 
rather near the tops of the houses. Puss could 
see into the bedroom windows, and many a little 
girl and boy who got out of bed that morning 
head'd a whirring noise overhead, and some, who 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


had very sharp ears, heard Puss purring away, 
too, for he felt very comfy and contented after 
his good night’s sleep! 



Then, by and by, when everybody was awake, 
and the milkmaids were milking the cows, and 
the sowers were sowing the seeds, and the farm- 
23 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 

ers were making the hay, and Little Boy Blue 
was doing something, but I can’t tell you what 
just now, for this is New Mother Goose Land, 
you remember, and I don’t really know myself 
what he is going to do, the air-ship drifted slowly 
down to the earth and Captain Downy Goose 
and his four-and-twenty sailor doves got out 
and walked about on the green grass. 

“Every sailor needs a day in port,” he said, 
as he helped his wife and the baby down the 
gang-plank. Puss, Junior, had already jumped 
out and was eating some catnip which grew 
close by. 

“Although I do wear boots and carry a sword, 
Captain,” he said, “I still am extremely fond 
of catnip. I’m still a good cat,” and then he 
climbed up a tree, boots and all, and sat on a 
limb just overhead, much to the dismay of a 
little robin who had a nest there. 

“He won’t hurt you, Mrs. Robin,” cried Cap- 
tain Downy Goose. “He never touched one of 
my sailor doves!” 

“And he played with my baby gosling so 
gently,” said the captain’s wife. Then the little 
robin stopped chirping and quietly sat on her nest. 

“In Old Mother Goose Land,” said Puss, “I 
knew Robin-Redbreast even before he married 
Jenny Wren. And I was at the wedding with 
some friends of mine and we gave them a gold 
ring.” 


24 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


The four-and-twenty sailor doves were flutter- 
ing about the meadow, picking up worms and 
little seeds, for the food you have on shipboard 
gets very tiresome, you know. Then by and 
by the captain said it was time to leave, but in 
the next story you shall hear what they did after 
that. 


THE PRETTY DRESSMAKER 


OU remember in the last story, just at the 



JL end, you know. Captain Downy Goose said, 
“All aboard!” Well, the four-and-twenty sailor 
doves fluttered to their places, and Mrs. Goose 
and baby gosling scrambled aboard, too, but 
Puss, Junior, remained on the meadow. 

“Aren’t you coming along asked Captain 
Goose. 

“I must travel now on my good two hind 
feet,” answered Puss, with a grin, “but I thank 
you for a pleasant voyage and wish you a safe 
return.” Then off went the air-ship and was 
soon lost to sight. 

So Puss turned his steps onward, and pretty 
soon he came across a pretty maid. At first he 
thought she was the milkmaid he had met in 
Old Mother Goose Land, but he saw he was 
mistaken, for the next minute a man in an auto- 
mobile drove up and said: 

“Where are you going, my pretty maid?” 

“Over the hills, kind sir,” she said. 

“Over the hills and far away, 

I’m seeking my fortune, sir, to-day.” 


26 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


“What can you do, my pretty maid?” 
“Sing a song, kind sir,” she said. 


*‘Sing and sew, and sew and sing, 
I’m to make money at dressmaking! 



“Over the hills the city lies. 

Over the hills to the western skies; 

“There will I find my fortune, sir. 
Making a coat and a muff of fur! 

“Come, my pretty maid, come with me 
To yonder church with the tall belfry. 
27 


3 



PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


“Call the parson to marry us there. 

Here is my auto to carry us there.” 

“Thank you, kind sir,” said the maiden pretty, 
“I’d rather go dressmaking in the city!” 

Then the poor man drove off in his machine, 
looking very unhappy. 

“Why didn’t you marry him.?” asked Puss, 
Junior, looking up into her face. 

“Mercy!” exclaimed the Pretty Maid. “One 
doesn’t marry everybody who asks one. Be- 
sides, I want to go to the city and make my 
fortune.” 

“Come on, then,” cried Puss. “I will show 
you the way, for I have been to London Town 
and have traveled much. My trusty sword and 
I will protect you.” The Pretty Maid dimpled 
and smiled and then she took Puss, Junior’s, 
arm and away they went with a hop, skip, and 
jump down the road. 

And in the next story you shall hear what 
happened after that. 


CANDY TOWN FERRY 


OEE-SAW, sacradown, 

^ Which is the way to Candy Town? 

First the Choo-choo and then the ferry. 

And then the trolley for little Jerry.’* 

“But my name isn’t Jerry,” exclaimed Puss 
in Boots, Junior, while the Pretty Maid, who 1 
told you in the last story was on her way to town 
to learn the dressmaking trade, turned up her 
little nose in disgust at the man who had called 
Puss this name, and said: 

“I don’t believe he has given us the right 
directions, my dear Puss, for a man who calls 
you ‘Jerry’ shows his ignorance. He should 
know that you are the son of the famous Puss 
in Boots.” 

“What’s that? What’s that?” inquired the 
man. 

“Oh, never mind,” said the Pretty Maid. “We 
must be on our way,” and with these words she 
and Puss, Junior, turned aside and set out once 
more on their journey to town. But after they 
had gone a long distance they became hungry, 
29 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


as all travelers do, and as there was no house in 
sight they sat themselves down on the stone 

fence by the road 
and looked about 
them. A gentle- 
looking cow was 
eating grass close 
by, and when the 
Pretty Maid 
said, “Come, 
Bossy,” she 
walked up to the 
fence and stood 
there looking 
first at Puss and 
then at the 
Pretty Maid. 

“If I only had 
a pail I’d milk her/^ said the Pretty Maid, 
for 

“When I was younger I loved to milk, 

Though now I love to sew on silk.” 

Just then the bright eyes of Puss, Junior, dis- 
covered a pail hidden in the bushes, and before 
long it was half full of milk, for the Pretty Maid 
was a farmer’s daughter, you know. Well, after 
she and Puss, Junior, had drunk all they wanted, 
they again set out on their journey and by and 
by they came across a baker-man in his wagon. 



IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 

And he was very kind and asked them to get in 
and take a ride, but he didn’t ask them to help 
themselves to the nice pies and cakes! Wasn’t 
that too bad? Well, it wasn’t so bad, after all, 
for Puss, Junior, took out his purse and paid 
the man for all the pies he and the Pretty Maid 
ate, and I’m ashamed to tell you how many for 
fear you’ll go and do the same, and then your 
mother won’t read the next story, which is going 
to be very interesting, if something doesn’t hap- 
pen pretty soon in this. 

Well, after a while they came to a ferry and 
the baker-man said it went to Candy Town, 
which was the very place where the Pretty Maid 
wanted to go. And of course Puss, Junior, 
liked the name of the town, and so he went 
along, too. And it was very nice, for the baker- 
man drove his wagon onto the boat and they 
went over as nice as you please. 

And in the next story you shall hear all about 
their adventures in Candy Town. 


THE LITTLE BLUE CHAUFFEUR 



ET me see. In the last story we left little 


-Li Puss, Junior, and the Pretty Maid in the 
baker-man’s wagon on board the ferry-boat. 
Well, as soon as they reached Candy Town the 
Pretty Maid went to her dressmaking store, and 
after she had thanked Puss, Junior, for his kind- 
ness in bringing her safely to town she gave him 
a hug, and then they parted, she to make dresses 
and bonnets, you know, and Puss to seek his 
fortune. 

And just then he heard a little bird in a cage 
singing : 

“Little Blue Chauffeur, come blow your horn, 

The streets are so crowded from early dawn. 
Where’s the policeman upon his beat? 

There he is watching you on the street. 

Go slowly, go slowly, or surely the Cop, 

My little Blue Chauffeur, your auto will stop.” 

Puss, Junior, looked around ana there sat a 
little boy in his toy automobile, and the little 
bird in the cage whistled just like a policeman’s 


32 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


whistle, loud and shrill, and then swung back 
and forth on her swing as merrily as could be. 

“She’s my bird,” cried the little boy, looking 
at Puss, Junior, with admiration, and especially 
at his red-topped boots. “Would you like to 



ride in my automobile.?” Of course Puss did, 
and pretty soon he was riding up and down as 
nice as you please. 

After a little while Puss, Junior, got out and 
thanked the little boy, and then he went on his 
way, for he was a restless cat, as you have 
learned, and he couldn’t stay very long in one 
33 



PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 

place. He was a traveler and fond of new faces 
and new places. 

Well, by and by it grew dark and he had to 
look about him for a place to sleep, for there 
were no houses in sight; nothing but a long, 
dreary road in front of him and woods and fields 
on either side. 

“Heigh-ho! this isn’t very nice!” he cried, as 
he entered the woods. “I guess I’ll climb up 
into this tree. It ’ll be safer up there than down 
on the ground!” So he took off his boots and 
held them in his teeth and climbed up the tree, 
but just as he reached the first limb an old owl 
poked his head out of a hole and said: 

“Who is that.?” 

“Puss in Boots, Junior.” And then Puss 
drew his sword, for he didn’t know whether the 
old owl meant to harm him or not. 

“Put up your sword,” said the old bird, “I’ll 
not harm you. For I know your father, the 
famous Puss in Boots, who is Seneschal to my 
Lord of Carabas. Many a night have I hooted 
about the castle and helped your daddy catch 
mice, for there were lots of those pesky little 
animals in the old castle. Come inside my 
bouse and sleep for the night.” 

And Puss accepted the old owl’s kind invita- 
tion, and in the next story you shall hear what 
he did when he woke up. 


THE LITTLE DAPPLE MOTOR-CAR 


Y OU must remember that Puss, Junior, is 
still traveling in New Mother Goose Land 
and that is the reason why air-ships and auto- 
mobiles, and, goodness knows, perhaps sub- 
marines, are taking the place of old-fashioned 
wagons and balloons. 

Well, one fine morning, as he was trudging 
along Motor Goose Road, he came to a neat 
little garage outside of which a small boy stood 
looking very sad indeed. 

“What is the matter.?’’ asked Puss, stopping 
to wipe the dust from his red-topped boots. 

“Oh dear!” replied the boy, 

“I had a little motor-car, 

And it was dapple gray; 

For eyes it had two lamps of brass 
To see along the way. 

‘T lent it to a lady 

To ride about the town; 

She ran into a motor-bus 
And broke my auto down. 

“She smashed the pretty lamps of brass. 

And punctured every tire. 

I would not lend my auto now 
For any lady’s hire.” 

35 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


“That’s too bad,” said little Puss, Junior. 
“I’m very sorry. I once met a little boy who 
had a dapple-gray pony and the same thing 
happened when he lent it to a lady. She whipped 
him and lashed him and rode through the mire. 



and the little boy never let anybody ride his 
pony again.” 

And then Puss, Junior, said good-by and went 
upon his way, and by and by he came to a high 
mountain on the top of which stood a stately 
castle. “Let me see,” he said to himself. “Shall 

36 



IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


I climb up to the castle or shall I keep to Motor 
Goose Road?” But, being a venturesome little 
cat, he decided to visit the castle. “For who 
knows,” he thought, “but what a wicked giant 
may live there, and I haven’t seen a giant since 
I climbed up the beanstalk.” 

So up he went and by and by he came to the 
castle wall, where he knocked loudly. But no 
one opened the gate, although he finally beat 
upon it with the hilt of his sword. 

“Perhaps a Sleeping Beauty is dreaming in 
the palace chamber,” he said, and then he looked 
about for a way to enter, for he was determined 
to gain an entrance. So he took off his boots 
and climbed over the wall which surrounded 
the courtyard. It was deserted, so he pushed 
open the castle doors and entered. I think this 
was very brave in him, all alone with nothing 
but his trusty sword to depend upon. But as 
soon as he entered the great hall a little mouse 
ran up to him and said: 

“Come with me, for the Princess is asleej).” 

And in the next story I will tell you what 
Puss, Junior, did. 


WAKING THE PRINCESS 


P erhaps you win think it very strange 
that in New Mother Goose Land there 
should be a Sleeping Beauty, but why not? She 
had been asleep for so long that New Mother 
Goose Land was discovered by Puss, Junior, 
before she woke up. And as I was telling you 
in the last story, he followed the mouse, who led 
him through the castle, up the velvet stairway, 
until they came to the room where the beautiful 
Princess lay asleep. 

‘‘My dear mistress will not wake,” said the 
little mouse, the tears coming to her eyes. She 
didn’t seem to be the least afraid of Puss, Junior, 
which is rather strange, isn’t it? But perhaps 
she felt he was different from ordinary cats, and 
of course she was right in this. 

Puss, Junior, then took his sword from the 
scabbard and held it up so that the sunbeams 
through the window made it flash and glitter. 
Then he said, in a soft voice: 

“Princess, by my trusty sword 
I will break the charm. 

You shall waken from your dreams 
And be safe from harm.” 

38 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


And he waved his glittering weapon once, 
twice, and thrice, and, low and behold! the 
lovely Princess opened her eyes and smiled. 
And then Puss, Junior, knelt down and kissed 



her hand in a gallant way, while she patted him 
on the head and said: 

“You have broken the spell under which I 
have lain asleep all these lovely days. You shall 
be Seneschal in my castle, for I am sure you 
must be Puss in Boots, Junior, for I have met 



PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


Puss in Boots, Seneschal to my Lord of Carabas, 
and you are the very image of that famous cat.” 

And after that the beautiful Princess arose 
and rang a little bell, and all her retainers, who 
had also been under the spell, awoke and the 
castle became as busy as it w^as before the 
wicked fairy, whose name I can’t remember, 
cast her spell over them. 

“Your Highness,” said Puss, Junior, “I am 
indeed flattered at your kind offer to make me 
Seneschal to your castle, but I am a traveler, 
and I have the love of adventure in my heart; 
therefore I cannot accept your kind offer, but 
must be on my way, for 

“When the winds blow they call me to go 
Over the grasses or over the snow. 

I must be going where the wind’s blowing; 

I am a rover forever and O.” 

Of course the Princess felt very sorry to have 
Puss, Junior, go, but she saw there was no use 
in asking him to remain, so she gave orders to 
the Royal Chef to put up a flne lunch for him, 
and then our little hero started off again upon 
his journey of adventure. 


JACK AND JILL 


A S Jack and Jill went up the hill 
Their motor-car broke down. 

“Oh dear, oh dear, we greatly fear 
We’ll never reach the town!” 

Then out Jack got and off did trot 
As fast as he was able; 

“Come, Farmer Cross, lend me a horse 
From out your big red stable 1” 

“All right, my lad, I shall be glad 
To let you have my mare; 

She’ll pull you through, for she’s true blue, 

And land you safely there!” 

And Jill and Jack, when they got home, 

Han iij) to pat and hug her. 

And then with care they fed the mare 
A great big lump of sugar. 

And this is the way it happened, you see, in 
New Mo tiler Goose Land. And of course Puss, 
Junior, was there, and the first thing he said 
was: “You are not at all like Jack and Jill in 

Old Mother Goose, No, not a bit.” 

41 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


“Why, what were they like.^^” asked Jill, turn^ 
ing from the mare and patting Puss, Junior, 
“What was Jill like, my dear?” 



“Well, in the first place,” answered Puss, 
“they went up the hill their pail to fill, but half- 
way down Jack broke his crown. You see, he 
slipped and fell and the water spattered all over 
42 





IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


me, and my boots were half full, and, oh, dear 
me! I was a sight!” 

And just then the mare looked at Puss and 
neighed. And would you believe it, she was 
the same gray mare who carried the farmer’s 
daughter so rosy and fair. “Helloa, my little 
pussy friend!” she said, and then, of course. 
Puss had to tell Jack and Jill all about the 
accident, and how she had fallen down and 
broken her knees when the raven flew by and 
frightened her with his dismal croak! 

“You are a most amusing little cat,” said 
Jack. “It seems to me you know almost every- 
body in Mother Goose ” 

“So I do,” replied Puss, Junior, “but I must 
say I am getting surprises every minute now 
that I’m traveling in New Mother Goose Land. 
You see, at first I expect everybody to do the 
same things over again, but they don’t!” 

“Ha, ha!” laughed Jack. “My dear Puss, 
we’ve just had new plumbing put in and all we 
have to do now is to turn a little faucet and we 
get all the water we want. No more trips up 
the hill to fetch a pail of water for Jill and me!” 

“Well, let me take the mare back for you,” 
said Puss, and with this he jumped on her back 
and set off for Farmer Cross’s farm. 

And in the next story you shall hear of an 
accident. 


4 


NEW MAN IN THE MOON 


I T didn’t take Puss, Junior, long to ride the 
mare back to Farmer Cross’s barn, because 
she was a good roadster and Puss knew how to 
ride. Farmer Cross was glad to see his mare 
again, although, of course, he knew that Jack 
and Jill would return her just as soon as they 
reached home. I am telling you all this in case 
you don’t remember in the last story how Jack 
and Jill met with an accident and asked the 
kind farmer to lend his mare to pull their auto- 
mobile home for them. And on their arrival 
home Puss, Junior, happened to meet them, and 
that is how he came to ride the mare back to 
her master. 

Well, after that. Puss, Junior, set out once 
more upon his journey of adventure. And after 
a little while 

The Man in the Moon 
Came down too soon; 

In fact it was only half past noon. 

He said, with a sigh, 

“Oh dear, what shall I 

Do till the Man in the Sun has passed by?” 

44 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


“The Man in the Moon whom I once met/’ 
said Puss, looking at the queer person now stand- 
ing in front of him, “asked his way to Norwich, 



and then he went south, and he burnt his mouth 
by eating cold plum porridge/’ 

“Yes, yes, I know,” answered the man, petu- 
lantly; “he was a cousin of mine. But you 
45 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


must remember that was in Old Mother Goose 
Land. I come from the New Moon, and this is 
New Mother Goose Land.” Then 


As quick as a wink 
He crept into a chink 

Of a cloud that was sailing up over the brink 

Of a hill in the west 

Where the Sun goes to rest 

After he’s shone all day at his best. 

And at length, when the Sun 
His journey had run. 

The Moon Man his travels had only begun. 

So, you see, by this time it was evening and 
Puss, Junior, was still trudging along Motor 
Goose Road. And, oh, dear me! he was very 
tired and dusty, and the road was hard, and on 
either side there were signs at regular distances, 
“Keep Off the Grass” and “No Trespassing 
Allowed,” so that little Puss did not like to 
leave the broad highway. How he longed for 
a shady path through the woods! He was just 
about to sit down and rest when he came to a 
trolley line. 

And in the next story you shall hear how he 
took his first trolley ride in New Mother Goose 
Land. 


THE TROLLEY-CAR 


OU remember in the last story how tired 



X little Puss, Junior, was when he came to 
the trolley line. You see, he’d been traveling 
all day along Motor Goose Road, and it was 
hard on his feet and his red-topped boots were 
nearly worn through, and it was supper-time, 
too, and, and — well, you know how tired you 
get just about supper-time. 

So he stopped at the little covered station- 
house and waited for a car. And there was a 
jolly party of boys and girls waiting, too, and 
while they waited they sang this little song: 

“Ride on the trolley to Banburry Cross; 

Our auto is busted, we can’t get a horse; 

Ring up the car fare and turn off the brake. 

For we’re in a hurry for fear we’ll be late.” 

And just then along came the trolley-car and 
everybody jumped on board and away they 
went, the bell ringing loudly and the conductor 
singing out: “Fare, please! This car for Ban- 
burry Cross!” 

Well, Puss, Junior, paid his nickel, or maybe 


47 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 

ten cents, I don’t remember which, and by and 
by, when it was quite dark, they reached Ban- 
burry Cross and everybody got off; so Puss fol- 



lowed the crowd up the street where the lights 
were burning brightly and the shop windows 
were lighted up to show all the pretty things for 
sale. And then, all of a sudden, he saw in a 



IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


window a book of Puss m Boots with the por- 
trait of his father on the cover. Yes, it was 
just like the book our little hero had found so 
long ago up in the garret, and it made him 
think of the time when he had started out to 
find his dear father just because he had seen 
this little book that day on the garret floor. 
But, oh, wasn’t that long ago! He had found 
his father, but then he wasn’t content to stay 
with him, but must needs go traveling again, 
and here he was, all alone, in New Mother Goose 
Land in a strange city. 

“Heigh-ho!” said Puss. “It makes me home- 
sick to see that little book.” Then he went 
inside the shop and bought it, and the little old 
man who stood behind the counter laughed out 
loud and said: 

“Bless my soul! Is this Puss in Boots.?” 

“Not exactly,” replied our small traveler. 
“Y^ou see before you his son. Puss, Junior.” 
At which the little old man was so delighted 
that he invited Puss to spend the night with 
him in the little shop, for he had a nice little 
room in the rear with a small white bed and a 
stove and a table, and a few things to make it 
very comfortable. So Puss stayed with him and 
the next day started out again; but what hap- 
pened after that you must wait to hear in the 
next story. 


QITEERVILLE 


A S I told you in the last story, Puss spent 
the night with the little old man who kept 
the book-shop, and early the next morning he 
helped him dust and fix the books in the window, 
and then he tucked his own little book of Puss 
in Boots under his arm and set off again on his 
journey of adventure. 

And by and by he saw a strange sight. 

There was an old woman went up in a rocket 
Seventeen times as high as tlie sun; 

But where she was going nobody could tell, 

And under her arm she carried a gun. 

“Old woman, old woman, old woman,” we said, 
“Why are you flying so high overhead?” 

“Tm going a-shooting stars!” she said, 

“When all you people are safe in bed!” 

By this time there was a great crowd, for it 
was a most unusual thing, even in New Mother 
Goose Land where air-ships and submarines were 
common as trolley-cars, to see an old woman 
go up into the sky on a rocket, and it wasn’t the 
Fourth of July, either! 

“She’s very careful,” said Puss, with a grin. 

50 



IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 

“Yes, she is, maybe,” said a farmer at his 
elbow, “but if you are an observing young cat 
you will notice there are very few stars in the 


daytime, so she has to wait until night to do 
her hunting! But I have my opinion of people 
who go shooting stars. Why don’t they shoot 
ducks?” 


51 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


“That^s what I say,” replied little Puss, 
Junior; “but what town is this, may I 
ask?” 

The farmer pushed back his big straw hat and 
said: “Before I tell you its name let me say that 
it’s fidl of queer and foolish people. You see one 
already on a rocket up in the sky seventeen 
times as high as the sun!” 

Puss, Junior, became interested. Here was 
a place fidl of adventure, so he said, “Pray 
tell me the name of this town, for I am a bit 
curious.” 

“Queerville,” answered the farmer, “and it’s 
the queerest place I ever lived in, let me tell 
you.” 

“And everybody’s queer but me and thee?” 
laughed Puss, remembering what an old Quaker 
had once said to him. 

Just then the old woman was seen coming 
down to earth at a rapid rate, and before long 
she landed quite close to Puss, Junior. “Oh. 
dear me!” she exclaimed, in an irritated tone of 
voice, “I left my bullets in my upper bureau 
drawer, so I had to come all the way back for 
them. How provoking!” And off she walked 
toward her house. 

And in the next story I will tell you of another 
strange person who lived in Queerville. 


SHOOTING-STARS 



OU remember where Puss, Junior, was in 


A the last story, don’t you? Well, in case 
you have forgotten or didn’t read it, I’ll tell you. 
He was in Queerville, New Mother Goose Land, 
and as soon as the old woman who had just 
come down from the sky on her rocket walked 
away the farmer who had been talking to Puss 
said to him: 

“Come with me, for it is getting near supper- 
time. You are a traveler, I see. My good wife 
and I will be glad to have you spend the night 
with us.” So Puss accepted the invitation, and 
after supper he went out for a walk with the 
farmer, and when they came to the village Puss 
saw something very, very strange. He was very 
curious about it, so the farmer said: 


“There is a man in our town 
And he is wondrous bright, 

They use him for a lamp-post 
To light the streets at night. 

“’Tis very strange, when he is out 
He always is most bright — 

So very, very different from 
The usual kind of light.’* 


53 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


‘‘Well, I should say so!” exclaimed Puss, and 
then he began to laugh, for it certainly was 
funny to see that man standing on the street- 
corner, shining away just like a big electric light 
in front of a moving-picture show. 



“I once knew a queer man. He lived in Bram- 
ble-bush Town,” said Puss, Junior. 

“Oh, you mean the fellow who scratched out 
both his eyes and then scratched them in again.?” 
said the farmer. 

“Yes. He jumped into a bramble-bush,” said 
Puss, with a grin. 

“Well, this man you see like a Statue of 
54 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


Liberty,” laughed the farmer — and he couldn’t 
have been such an awfully old farmer, after all, 
if he had been to New York and seen the Statue 
of Liberty Enlightening the World — ‘‘is first 
cousin to the Bramble-bush man. Didn’t I 
tell you this place was full of queer people.^” 

“Well, I’ve seen lots of things I never dreamed 
of in Old Mother Goose Land, but since I’ve 
been traveling in this country things seem just 
as strange. In fact, this lamp-post man is 
about as queer a person as I ever saw.” 

Then, suddenly, up in the sky they saw the 
old woman on her rocket. And, oh, dear me! 
what a lot of shooting-stars there were! If it 
had been the Fourth of July it couldn’t have 
been any better. There were pink and green, 
blue and yellow, and every kind of colored star, 
till Puss exclaimed, “Let’s go to bed, for my 
eyes are very tired!” 

And in the next story I’ll tell you what he 
does when he wakes up. 


DAPPLE GRAY WAS BALKY 


ELL, when Puss woke up the next morn- 



vv ing he had his breakfast at the house of 
the kind farmer who lived near Queerville, as I 
told you in the last story, and then he started 
out again on his journey of adventure. 

And after some little distance Puss, Junior, 
came into the town of Queerville, where he was 
met by a man who asked him: 

“Did you see my wife, did you see, did you see, 

Did you see my wife looking for me? 

She wears a silk hat and a purple cravat 
And pantaloons over her knee.” 

“No, my good man,” replied our small hero, 
“I have not, although I have seen some very 
strange sights since I arrived at Queerville.” 

“What, for instance.?^” asked the man. 

“Well, first, the old woman who went up on 
a rocket, and the man who is so bright that 
you use him for a street lamp to light your 
town at night,” replied Puss, Junior, with a 
grin, “and now you ask me if I have seen your 
wife with a stovepipe hat and a purple cravat.” 


56 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


But before the man could make reply his wife 
appeared on the scene. But, after all. Puss, 
Junior, didn’t think her costume so strange, for 



she was on horseback, and I myself, although 
I’ve never been to Queerville, New Mother 
Goose Land, have seen many a pretty lady with 
silk hat and pantaloons riding horseback, 
57 


a 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


although I can’t be positive about the purple 
cravats. Well, as soon as Puss, Junior, looked 
up he knew her to be the lady who had once 
borrowed the dapple-gray pony from the little 
boy to ride a mile away. But, of course, that 
was in Old Mother Goose Land and a long time 
ago. However, he was anxious to learn what 
had become of the little dapple pony and his 
small master, so he lifted his cap and said: 

“Pardon me, my lady, but were you ever in 
Mother Goose Land.f^” 

“Only once, my cute little cat/’ she replied, 
with a smile, “and then I had a very hard time 
riding a little dapple-gray pony, who tried to 
throw me in the mire, so that I had to whip 
him and lash him before he would behave.” 

“Goodness me!” exclaimed Puss, Junior, half 
to himself, “I wonder if she is telling the truth, 
for the little boy never said his pony was balky. 
He only told me how the lady had lashed him!” 
And just then her horse began to dance and the 
next instant away he went as fast as he could 
down the street. 

“Whoa! whoa!” called the man, but Puss, 
Junior, didn’t wait, for he was tired of the people 
in Queerville, and wished to see new faces and 
new places, so off he went, and in the next 
story we will hear about Johnny and the pussy- 
cat. 


HOT CATNIP TEA 


“ TAING, dong bell. 

Pussy isn’t well. 

Tell me quick the reason why — 

Johnny fed her apple pie. 

“What a naughty boy was that 
To give rich pie to pussy-cat! 

I fear just now she will not harm 
A mouse in Johnny’s father’s barn.” 

Now, of course, Puss, Junior, was very grieved 
when he heard this, and he inquired if there 
wasn’t a doctor who would cure poor pussy, 
but there didn’t seem to be any medical man in 
the neighborhood. You see, nobody had been 
ill for so long that all the doctors had moved 
away, and how it happened that pussy-cat grew 
sick after eating the apple pie is a mystery to 
me, for the apple pie in all New Mother Goose 
Land was the most delicious pie I ever ate, and 
you would agree with me, I am sure. Well, 
there is no use in talking about it any more, for 
pussy was certainly very ill, and she looked up 
at Puss, Junior, with such beseeching eyes that 
our small hero said he would go for a doctor if 
5 59 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 

he had to go a thousand and one miles to get 
him. 

So he looked around for an automobile or an 



air-ship, and then, what do you suppose hap- 
pened.^ Why, up flew Goosey, Goosey Gander 
and said: 

“Master Puss, Junior, I was so lonely after 
60 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 

leaving you that I have hunted for you ever 
since.” 

“Well, youVe come just in time,” cried Puss, 
jumping on the Gander’s back. “Now take me 
as fast as you can to a doctor.” And the Gan- 
der, who was a well-behaved bird, never asked 
why, but flew away as fast as he could, and by 
and by he came to a doctor’s house, for the 
Gander was a wise bird and knew more than 
people thought he did. 

But the doctor was out and his wife didn’t 
know when he’d be back, for he had gone a long 
ways to see an old man who had the whooping- 
cough. So she gave Puss a little pill to give to 
the Ding, Dong Bell pussy. And after that Puss, 
Junior, climbed up again on the Gander’s back, 
who flew away with him until they came to 
another doctor, and he happened to be at home, 
for his little boy was sick with the measles. 

“I’m sorry, but I really can’t leave,” said the 
doctor, “but I will telephone them what to do.” 
So he called them up on the telephone and told 
Johnny’s father to give the poor pussy-cat some 
hot catnip tea, and just as soon as she drank it 
she got perfectly well, although she said when 
she thought of the pie it made her feel ill again. 

Then Puss, Junior, paid the doctor for tele- 
phoning and, again mounting his Gander, rode 
off in search of further adventure. 


YANKEE DOODLE UP IN THE AIR 


\/'ANKEE DOODLE came to town 
^ On his aeroplaney; 

He stuck his parachutey up. 

In case it should be rainy! 

Yankee Doodle, doodle-do. 

Air-ship ’stead of pony. 

And a noodle, noodle-do 
’Stead of macaroni! 

And this is the way Yankee Doodle came to 
town in New Mother Goose Land! At first 
Puss, Junior, did not remember him, but as soon 
as he heard his jolly voice saying, “Helloa, 
there. Puss in Boots, Junior!” our small hero 
knew who he was. 

“Where’s that fine pony of yours?” he asked. 

Yankee Doodle looked at Puss sadly. “He 
ran away one rainy day,” and Yankee Doodle 
Dandy sighed, “so I bought this aeroplane and 
am now a sky-sailor. Want to come along for 
a sail?” 

So Puss, Junior, jumped into the air-ship and 
away they went through the air as fast as the 
wind. 


62 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


“I can go pretty fast on my Gander,” said 
Puss, “but never as fast as this. I’m glad you 
asked me out for a sail, for Goosey Gander is 
not well to-day and 
is resting up a bit 
before we go on a 
long journey.” 

“Why, where are 
you going?” asked 
Yankee Doodle Dan- 
dy. “The last time 
we met you were in 
search of your fa- 
mous father.” 

“I found him at 
the castle of my 
Lord of Carabas,” 
said Puss, Junior, 

“but, after a year do 
you know I became restless, and so I set out once 
more on a journey of adventure — and here I am!” 

“Well, you may have some strange advent- 
ures up here,” said Yankee Doodle Dandy, “for 
the sky nowadays is like the ocean; it is trav- 
ersed by strange craft. I only hope it will not 
become so crowded that we will need traffic 
policemen to avoid collisions.” 

And just then, as if his fear were to come true, 
they almost ran into a strange-looking craft, 
but they swerved just in time and so there was 



PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


no accident. And after that the strange-looking 
craft disappeared behind a bank of clouds and 
was lost to sight. 

“These clouds make navigation very danger- 
ous/’ said Yankee Doodle Dandy, “especially 
when they are in banks. It’s impossible to see 
behind them, and the first thing you know out 
comes an air-ship and you are liable to be run 
over.” 

“Isn’t that beautiful!” suddenly exclaimed 
Puss, pointing to a rainbow in the distance. 

“Yes, that’s Rainbow Bridge,” said Yankee 
Doodle Dandy. “It used to be painted many 
different colors, but now it has only three — the 
Red, White, and Blue!” 

“Hurrah for Uncle Sam’s rainbow!” cried 
Puss, Junior. 

And now you will have to wait until the next 
story to find out what happens after that. 


MARY HAD A LITTLE POM 


W ELL, Puss in Boots, Junior, on his feath- 
ered steed Goosey, Goosey Gander, slid 
down Uncle Sam’s rainbow till they came to a 
school-house. But Mary and her little lamb 
weren’t there, for this was New Mother Goose 
Land, you know. So Puss and Goosey Gander 
went along till they came to her house. 

Mary had a little Pom, 

Its hair was black as jet, 

And everywhere that Mary went 
She took her little pet. 

She put him in the Kennel Show 
To win a ribbon blue. 

While Mary walked around to give 
A social bow or two. 

And while she did society 
Her doggie pined and cried, 

A.nd in a day or two, alas! 

Poor little Fido died. 

“Dear me!” said little Puss, Junior, as Mary 
finished telling him her troubles, “you should 
have stayed in Old Mother Goose Land.” 

65 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


“But my little lamb grew into a big sheep and 
I grew up, too, and father moved — and, well, 
here I am, without any pet at all,’’ said Mary, 
sadly. “I wish you’d stay, dear Puss, Junior.” 

“I can’t,” replied our small hero. “Goosey 
Gander and I are on the wing, I might say, for 
we fly above the earth as swiftly as an air-ship,” 
and with these words he mounted the Gander 
and was off again upon his journey of adventure. 

“And now whither shall we go?'' asked 
Goosey, Goosey Gander. 

“I do not know,” said Puss. 

“Let us keep a-going 
While the wind is blowing; 

Never sad, always glad. 

With new hope a-glowing!” 

And then, how that Gander did spread his 
wings and fly! And by and by they came to 
a green wood, so they came down to earth to 
rest in the shade and eat their lunch. But 
when Puss, Junior, opened his lunch -basket 
there was nothing in it. Wasn’t that too bad.? 
You see, he had forgotten to have it filled. 
Well, there was nothing to do but take a nap, 
and so they lay down and went to sleep, and 
Puss, Junior, dreamed about the Pieman going 
to the fair, and how he had eaten cranberry 
tarts and drunk lemonade with the country boy 
named Simple Simon. And he was just going 
00 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 

to buy another tart when the Pieman said, 
“Show me first your penny,’’ and while he was 
fumbling in his pocket he woke up. And of 



course the Pieman was gone and he was as 
hungry as ever, and in the next story I hope 
he’ll get a good lunch, for a traveler must eat 
to be merry and gay. 


LOTS OF THINGS HAPPEN 


5 I told you in the last stoiy, when Pnss, 



Junior, woke up he was as hungry as ever, 
so he said to Goosey, Goosey Gander, “Let us 
walk a little way through this wood; perhaps 
we may come across a cottage.” Well, by and 
by they came to a funny little house near a 
sparkling brook. So they stopped and looked 
in. And just then a little bird began to sing 
this New Mother Goose Land verse: 

“Six little mice sat down to eat; 

Pussy passed by on tiptoe feet; 

‘What are you doing, my little mice?’ 

‘Eating Jolmny’s cake, and it tastes real nice!’ 

‘Shall I show you, my dears, how to pull out the plums?’ 

‘No, thank you. Miss Pussy, you might bite off our 
thumbs!’” 

This made Goosey, Goosey Gander laugh, but 
it didn’t make Puss, Junior, even smile. He 
was now so hungry he didn’t know what to do. 
So he tapped on the window, and when the 
little mice saw him, would you believe it, they 
opened the door and said, “Come in, for we 
know who you are!” So in walked our small 


68 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 

traveler, and Goosey Gander followed, and 
pretty soon the six little mice had all sorts of 



nice things for them to eat, and after that Puss, 
Junior, told them a story about the three blind 
mice whose tails were cut off by the farmer’s wife. 
69 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


“And it was all on account of their eating 
her nut cake,’’ added Puss, “and she told me 
if they would promise not to take another nibble 
she would give them back their tails. Well, 
they promised, and then she gave them their 
three little tails, and you should have seen how 
delighted they were. For a mouse without a 
tail doesn’t look like a mouse at all, you know.” 

Well, after that. Puss, Junior, said good-by 
and, taking his seat upon the Gander’s back, 
flew up into the air and over the tree-tops far 
away, and by and by they came to a little house 
on the mountain-side where lived an old bear 
who was first cousin to the bear who was so 
fond of Snow-white and Rose-red. 

And, as the Gander was wing-weary, they 
came down to earth and spoke to the bear, who 
was sitting outside in the sun. 

“Welcome to my mountain,” he said. “My 
cousin has told me about a cat who wore boots 
and helped him to regain his human form. 
Alas! I am a prince, also, but no one has yet 
come to deliver me from the spell.” 

At these words Puss touched him with the 
little gold ring he wore on his big toe, and, 
would you believe it, the bear became a hand- 
some prince in less time than I can tell it! 


POOR MOON! 


I N the last story you remember we left off 
just as Puss, Junior, turned the bear into 
a handsome prince and the hut into a stately 
castle, and if any little reader has missed the 
story before this I will tell him that Puss had 
a magic gold ring on his big toe which would 
remove any evil charm. Wasn’t that nice.? 
And the prince thought so, too, for if it hadn’t 
been for our little traveler and his gold ring the 
prince would still be a bear. 

Well, after that the prince invited them to 
stay at the castle, which they did for almost a 
week; and didn’t they have fun! Goosey, 
Goosey Gander played with the swans on the 
silver moat, and Puss, Junior, went horseback- 
riding with the prince every morning, and 
played checkers with him in the evening, but 
what he did in the afternoon I don’t know, for 
the prince had a new air-ship, and they went 
up so high in the sky that I couldn’t see, so we 
will have to wait until you read this little verse 
of New Mother Goose Land: 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


Hey diddle diddle! 

Kerplunk in the middle 

The air-ship punctured the moon! 

The little dog laughed 
Aboard of the craft 

While the fiddle kept playing a tune! 

And now you know what happened, and so 
do I. And then Puss, Junior, told the prince 

about the cow that 
jumped over the 
moon instead of kick- 
ing it, like the air- 
ship. “And the Man 
in the Moon put his 
head out of the win- 
dow and told her to 
be very careful not to 
chip off a piece of 
green cheese,’’ said 
our little traveler, 
but the prince only 
laughed and said that accidents would happen, 
and he thought, anyway, the Moon was ’way 
out of her course. 

Well, the next morning Puss and Goosey 
Gander said good-by and set off once more on 
their journey of adventure. And everybody 
who saw them smiled, for indeed it was a queer 
picture. Puss, Junior, astride of a large gander 
who flew at times just over the telegraph-poles 
72 



IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


and the chimneys, unless there was smoke com- 
ing out. And in many of the little towns they 
passed over the children would shout and cry, 
“There goes a cat with boots and spurs with a 
gander for his steed!” 

Now, after they had flown for many miles 
and it was toward evening, the Gander settled 
himself on the roof of a big red barn, and Puss, 
Junior, slid down the haystack which was 
against one end and knocked on the door of 
the little farm-house to ask for something to 
eat. And the reason the Gander didn’t come 
down was because there was a big dog in the 
barn-yard. But Puss wasn’t afraid, for in New 
Mother Goose Land everybody is as happy as 
can be unless he does something wrong, when, 
of course, he is not. But very few boys 
and girls do wrong, which makes it a lovely 
place to live in, and I suppose when you little 
boys and girls who read this story are grown up 
you will tell your children just as I am telling 
you about this New Mother Goose Land which 
little Puss, Junior, has discovered. 


BACK TO THE SAWDUST RING 


P USS, JUNIOR, was once more traveling on 
foot, for Goosey Gander had de(?ided to 
make a visit at the red barn where we left him 
in the last story. 

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star, 

Shining from your motor-car. 

Once you thought it all the rage 
Just to twinkle from a stage,” 

sang a parrot from her cage outside the stage 
entrance of the theater as Puss in Boots, Junior, 
entered a pretty town. That night there was 
to be a circus, but how the elephant was ever 
going to act on the stage is more than I can tell; 
but let us wait and see, for pretty soon we’ll 
buy tickets, unless little Puss, Junior, sends us 
half a dozen passes. 

And wasn’t it lucky It was the same circus 
that Puss had once joined, oh, a long, long time 
ago. And the kind-hearted Clown and the Cir- 
cus Queen and the big gray horse gave him as 
many tickets as he could use, so let us go in 
with him at once and see the show. 

74 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


But wasn’t it too bad? Just at the last 
moment one of the riders sprained his leg and 
there was nobody to ride the big gray horse. 
And then the Circus Lady began to cry, for she 



had no one to perform with. And when Puss, 
Junior, saw this he jumped down from his seat 
and ran behind where the actor folks were all 
waiting for their turns, and put on a riding-suit 
with a little silk top-hat, and jumped on the 



PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


big gray horse and rode round and round the 
ring, bowing and taking off his hat. And when 
the lovely Circus Queen saw him she jumped 
on her beautiful black horse and came into the 
ring, and all the people cheered and clapped 
their hands. And let me tell you. Puss, Junior, 
hadn’t forgotten any of his old tricks! He 
jumped through rings with tissue-paper over 
them, only first, of course, the ring-master made 
a little hole in the middle so he could just 
squint through before he jumped. 

And the big gray horse jogged around and 
around, and pretty soon the Circus Lady j umped 
from the black horse onto the big gray horse 
and Puss, Junior, held her on— that is, he made 
believe, you know, for of course she could ride 
all right — and then the people all clapped again 
and said, “Bravo!” which means well done, or 
something like that. 

And when the circus was ove^. Puss was 
asked to make a speech, but instead he recited 
this little poem: 

“Oh, I’m in love with the sawdust ring. 

And on the trapeze I’d like to swing. 

But my big gray horse I’d rather ride. 

Than anything else I’ye ever tried.” 


DON’T TELL A LIE 


P USS, JUNIOR, decided to travel awliile 
with the circus, for he and the Clown had 
become fast friends. The Clown was a nice 
sort of chap. He would sit and talk to Puss 
after the show was over, and on Sundays take 
long walks with him in the country. One Sun- 
day afternoon he said, ‘‘Come and sit by me, 
my little friend, and I will tell you in rhyme a 
story about myself when I was a little chap.” 
So Puss, Junior, curled up beside him, and then 
the Clown began: 

“When I was a little boy 
I said to myself 

I guess I’ll eat the bread and cheese 
That’s on the pantry shelf. 

“And then I told my mother 
The rats and the mice 
Had eaten up her bread and cheese. 

Which wasn’t very nice. 

“And so that evening when I went 
To bed I couldn’t sleep; 

To think that I had told a lie 
Just made me weep and weep. 

77 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


“At last I crept out of my bed 
And to my mother went 
And told her all about it 
In a manner penitent. 



78 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


“And then, besides, I had a pain. 

An awful stomach-ache, 

And that, you know, is quite enough 
To keep one wide awake. 

“And Mother said, ‘Indeed it was 
A naughty thing to do; 

Of course you could not sleep because 
Your conscience troubled you.’ 

“She kissed me then and tucked me in 
Before she went down-stairs; 

And for a while I lay awake. 

Although I’d said my prayers. 

“I couldn’t quite make up my mind — 

It kept me still awake — 

Which hurt the worst, my conscience 
Or my stuffy stomach-ache. 

“But I know now which it was,” said the 
Clown, patting Puss on the head with a tender 
touch — “it was my conscience; for we can’t do 
wrong, little friend, without being sorry for it, 
and some day I hope to go back to my dear old 
mother and tell her,” and he wiped a tear from 
his eye and patted Puss again. 


THE SILVER-FISH 


NE can’t stay with a circus all one’s lif< 



that is, if he wants to travel up high 
mountains and cross rivers and visit castles and 
dungeons — so Puss, Junior, said good-by to the 
kind circus people, and to little Tom Thumb, 
too, for the little fellow was making so much 
money he wished to stay with the circus until 
he had a million dollars and then he was going 
to retire. 

So once more Puss, Junior, was traveling 
alone. But he was used to it, for had he not 
gone all through Mother Goose Land till he had 
found his famous father. Puss in Boots, and 
was he not now seeking adventures in New 
Mother Goose Land.^ Well, on he tramped till 
by and by he came to a village, and as he walked 
down the main street — 

Little Jack Horner sat in the corner 
Of liis father’s candy-shop. 

He held in his thumb, not a sugar-plum. 

But a ’licious lollypop! 

And when Jack saw Puss, Junior, he almost 

dropped his candy, for he had never seen a cat 

80 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 

with boots and spurs and a sword. But Puss 
only grinned and said, “Pick up your candy, 
Little Jack Horner, for candy doesn’t grow on 
trees and you are a lucky boy to have a lollypop 
to eat.” 

And with these words Puss, Junior, turned 
around and 
went down the 
street whistling 
a tune. 

And by and 
l)y he came to a 
brook, and just 
as he jumped 
across he saw a 
pretty silver- 
fish. 

“Helloa, 
there. Silver- 
fish!” said Puss. 

“If I had a 
hook and line 
I’d soon catch 
you,” and then Puss grinned at his own reflection 
in the clear water, and, if the fish hadn’t seen 
Puss on the bank, I guess he would have thought 
there was a real cat in the brook! 

“But you can’t drop me a line. Puss, Junior,” 
replied the fish, with a swish of his tail, “and 
if you did how do you know that I would write 
81 




PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


— I mean bite!” I suppose maybe he thought 
Puss was going to write him a letter! “But I 
have news for you,” continued the fish. “It 
was but a fortnight ago when I was swimming 
in the moat that surrounds the castle of my 
Lord of Carabas, I had the pleasure of talking 
with your illustrious father.” 

“Oh, tell me, how is he.?^” asked Puss, anx- 
iously, for he was very, very fond of his famous 
father, as you know. 

“He is enjoying most excellent health,” re- 
plied the fish. “Would you like to send him 
a message.^ I am returning to the castle moat 
in a few days.” 

“Tell him,” said Puss, Junior — and his voice 
faltered, for he felt a bit homesick at the thought 
— “tell him that I am well and shall hope to 
see him when I have finished my journey in 
New Mother Goose Land.” 


HOME TO THE OLD FARM! 


|_JARK! Hark! the dogs do bark, 

^ Suffragettes are coming to town. 

And some will vote to wear a coat. 

And some a velvet gown. 

“Sakes alive!” exclaimed the farmer, “I must 
look out! An automobile has just frightened 
my old gray mare.” And then his daughter so 
rosy and fair smiled at Puss, and the old gray 
mare kicked out her heels and began to neigh 
to frighten the suffragettes away. Now I meant 
to put these lines in verse form, but my type- 
writer wouldn’t stop to do it, so you will have 
to read them over, if they don’t rhyme prop- 
erly, until you find out just where the rhymes 
come in. 

Well, as soon as the jolly party in the auto- 
mobile drove away and the parade stopped, the 
farmer tied the old gray mare to a post, and 
Puss, Junior, took the daughter so rosy and 
fair into a candy-shop to buy some sweets. 

And then they came back and untied the 
gray mare, for the farmer had gone into a store 
to buy some seeds for his farm. Well, pretty 
83 



I 








IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


soon it was time to go home. ‘‘Come along 
with us,’’ said the daughter so rosy and fair, 
and then Puss climbed up behind and the gray 
mare never complained a bit, although she had 
a pretty heavy load with* the farmer and his 
daughter and little Puss, Junior. 

She just trotted along, and, as no automobile 
came by and no raven cried “Croak!” she didn’t 
fall down and break her crown — I mean her 
knee. I must have been thinking of Jack and 
Jill when I said that, I guess — and by and by 
they reached the farm. And oh, my! it was a 
pretty place. 

Daffodils grew in the garden, ana sunflowers 
along the fence, and honeysuckles on the front 
porch, and morning-glories around the back door. 
And you know what a dear, old, comfortable 
farm looks like, don’t you.^ It’s a lovely place 
to come home to at night when the sun is going 
down beyond the western hills and the first faint 
evening star is coming up over the damp mead- 
ows and all the air is still except for a twitter 
here and there from the trees or a distant crow 
of some barn-yard rooster who is saying good 
night to the friendly sun. 

And now, little children, good night, for in 
the next story it will be morning and Puss, 
Junior, will be getting out of bed. 


PUSS HAS A NARROW ESCAPE 


W HEN Puss in Boots, Junior, awoke the 
next morning he was surprised to find 
himself at the old farm-house, but you needn’t 
be, for in the last story we left him there with 
the farmer and daughter so rosy and fair. Well, 
as soon as he dressed himself he ran down-stairs 
and out into the barn-yard, and there he found 
the farmer already up and feeding the chickens. 
And the first thing he said to Puss was: 

“Cackle, cackle, yellow hen! 

She’s laid an egg outside the pen. 

She has a new nest somewhere now. 

Perhaps it’s up in the big haymow.” 

“Perhaps it is,” said Puss, and he ran up the 
ladder in the barn to the loft, which was full of 
hay. And by and by he came across the yellow 
hen’s nest, and it had eleven white eggs in it, 
too. So Puss put them in his hat and climbed 
down carefully and handed them to the farmer. 
But you should have heard that yellow hen 
cackle! She was as mad as mad could be, for 
she was going to hatch those eggs into pretty 
86 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 

little yellow chickens, or maybe into little black 
chicks. 

“That’s too bad,” said Puss. “Let’s put the 
eggs back!” 

“No, you’d better take the pitchfork and 



spread the straw in the gray mare’s stall,” said 
the farmer. But when this was done little, kind- 
hearted Puss, Junior, placed the eggs in the 
nest again, and the yellow hen was so pleased 
that she crowed like a rooster. And this woke 
up the farmer’s daughter so rosy and fair, and 
87 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


pretty soon she came down-stairs and ran out 
to pick some daffy-down-dillies. And then 
breakfast was ready, and after that Puss said 
good-by and continued his journey through New 
Mother Goose Land. 

Well, after he had walked for many miles he 
came to a wood where he sat down to eat the 
lunch which the farmer’s wife had put up for 
him. And then he fell asleep and had a lovely 
dream. And he dreamed about all the pleasant 
comrades who had traveled with him — his Good 
Gray Horse, Little Tom Thumb, the Circus 
Clown, Goosey, Goosey Gander, and others 
whom I forget for a moment. But perhaps you 
will remember them. And while he was dream- 
ing, who should walk up but his good gray 
steed. And when he saw his little master fast 
asleep he stood very still, and then he tiptoed 
off a little way to eat some tender grass until 
Puss should open his eyes. And I guess maybe 
he would have slept all the afternoon if the 
Good Gray Horse hadn’t seen a wolf sneaking 
through the trees, when he gave a loud neigh 
and ran up to his small master. And Puss 
woke up with a start and pulled out his sword. 

“Keep it in your hand, little master,” said 
the Horse, “for you may need it any minute!” 

And in the next story you shall hear whether 
Puss has use for his sword or not. 


KING COAL AND KING CINDER 
OU remember in the last story how the 



A Good Gray Horse woke up Puss, Junior, 
just as the wicked wolf was sneaking through 
the trees. Well, as soon as Puss had drawn 
his sword he said to his former steed, “You have 
done me a good turn, my four-footed friend. I 
see the wolf yonder, but he dares not come near 
for fear I will thrust my sword through him!” 

“Get on my back, little master, and I will 
carry you wherever you wish to go,” cried the 
Good Gray Horse. 

So Puss, Junior, jumped on his back and rode 
off, but the wicked wolf did not follow, for he 
was afraid. And after a while the Good Gray 
Horse halted before a stately castle. So Puss, 
Junior, knocked loudly on the postern gate with 
the hilt of his sword and pretty soon a retainer 
appeared and inquired what they wished. 

“My good man,” said Puss, Junior, “we are 
travelers, my Good Gray Horse and I, and as 
the day is far spent and the night is at hand, we 
seek a night’s lodging.” 

“Come in, then, and welcome,” said the re- 


89 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


tainer, “for my master never turns away a trav- 
eler, although thus far we have never been 
honored by a cat in boots!” Then he swung 
wide the great gates and Puss, Junior, on his 



Good Gray Horse rode proudly in with his 
trusty sword grasped in his right paw. Then 
several men-in-waiting came forward and led his 
steed to the royal stables, while others escorted 
Puss into the castle. Then, all of a sudden, 
several voices began singing this song: 

90 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


“Old King Coal 
Is a merry old soul. 

And a merry old soul is he; 

He burns in the grate 
From early till late, 

And crackles away merrily, 

“He weighs quite a ton, 

You can poke him in fun, 

And he’ll laugh and burn brightly in glee. 

But my! how he’ll pout 
If you let him go out — 

What a chilly old Cinder he’ll be!” 

And just as the song ended in came King Coal 
and King Cinder. They were brothers, you 
know, but as different as could be. King Coal 
was fat and jolly, but King Ciader was gray 
and thin and never smiled. Oh, never, not 
even a snicker when the court jester made a 
joke or told a funny story. He was always so 
put out at everything. 

“ W^elcome, Sir Cat,” cried King Coal. “ Come, 
amuse us with a tale of your travels.” 

So Puss, Junior, sat down aud began telling a 
story which you shall hear to-morrow, for I have 
no more room to tell it to you now. 

7 


THE TALE OF SIR LAUNCELOT 


“ TET me think a moment,” said Puss, 
-Li Junior, to King Coal and his brother, 
old King Cinder, who, you remember, in the 
last story had just asked our little traveler to 
tell them one of his adventures. “I must run 
over in my mind what would best suit your 
royal ears.” 

“Ha, ha!” laughed merry King Coal. “Give 
us a tale of warlike deeds. Excitement, my 
good Sir Cat!” But crusty old King Cinder 
never said a word. He was a chilly old man, 
not at all like his brother. 

“I will tell you of my meeting with the noble 
Sir Launcelot of the Lake,” resumed Puss, 
Junior. “One day, as I was walking through 
a wood, I met a knight all dressed in armor 
bright. And after talking with him I found 
that he once knew my father, the famous Puss 
in Boots, now Seneschal to my Lord of Carabas. 
And then, to my delight, this noble knight asked 
me to accompany him, for, said he, ‘Perchance 
we may come upon an adventure, you and I, 
little comrade in boots !’ So I climbed up behind 

92 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


him on his war-horse, and together we rode forth 
until we came to a bridge that spanned a river 
on the opposite shore of which stood a castle. 
But when we attempted to cross, the keeper of 
the bridge lay hold of our horse’s bridle and would 



have detained us had I not beat him upon the 
hand with the flat of my sword.” 

At this point in the story King Coal clapped 
his broad hand upon his leg and cried, “Bravely 
done, my good Sir Cat!” But old King Cinder 
never said a word. My! but he was a crusty 
old king! 


93 




PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


‘‘Well, after a little/’ continued Puss, Junior, 
“we came to the castle, and the knights and 
ladies-in- waiting did make much fun of my 
knight for having so strange a comrade as a cat 
in boots. But on learning he was Sir Launce- 
lot and that I was the son of the famous Puss 
in Boots, their laughter stopped and we were 
invited to stay at the castle. Now the lord of 
this castle was a very wicked lord and in the 
middle of the night he stole into our room and 
would have killed the noble Sir Launcelot had 
I not been awake. It was, indeed, lucky that 
I heard a noise at our chamber door, and that 
I stood beside it just as the wicked lord crept 
in, for had I not wounded him in the arm with 
my sword he might have harmed my knight 
ere he could grasp his own weapon to defend 
himself.” 

“Bravo!” cried King Coal, as Puss finished. 
“You have told me a good tale, and now we 
shall have a good dinner. Eh, brother?” and 
he nudged his crusty brother in the ribs until 
he coughed. But old King Cinder never, never 
said a word, he was such a crusty old king. 

After dinner Puss was entertained by the 
court jester and the next morning resumed his 
journey of adventure on his Good Gray Horse, 
and what happened later I will tell you in the 
next story, if you will promise never to be like 
crusty old King Cinder. 

94 


THE FOOLISH MILLER 


O NE cold morning, as Puss, Junior, was 
riding on his Good Gray Horse, he came 
to a river on the banks of which stood a mill. 
But the mill-wheel was quiet, for the river was 
frozen over. Now Puss was still traveling in 
New Mother Goose Land, and as he came near 
the old mill he heard a voice singing: 

“There was a foolish miller once 
Went skating on the Dee. 

The ice was thin and he fell in — 

No fish so wet as he. 

And then he sang a doleful song. 

For shivery wet w^as he; 

‘Oh dear, oh dear! I greatly fear 
I’ll have pneumony-e!’” 

“Where are you.?” asked Puss, Junior, look- 
ing around, for he could see nobody. Then the 
door opened, and out from the old mill came the 
miller himself, leaning on a crutch. 

“Who calls.?” he asked. 

“I inquired who sang the song about the 
foolish miller,” answered Puss, Junior, with a 
grin. 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


“I sang about my foolish self,’’ answered the 
miller. “Oh, that I could get rid of this rheu- 
matism!” and he made a wry face and gave a 
groan, “Oough, oough!” 

“Rheumatism is harder to lose than a flea,” 



said Puss, remembering the miller in Old Mother 
Goose Land who looked upon his pillow and 
there he saw a flea, that hopped inside the dusty 
mill beside the River Dee. 

“Ay, that it is,” said the miller, “although 
I’ve nesrer had a flea, like my brother who lives 
96 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


a long ways from here upon the banks of this 
same river/’ 

‘‘Yes, I have met him,” said Puss, “and a 
mighty pleasant man he was. He had a rat 
and a mouse for friends, and all day long he 
ground the corn into meal. And oh yes, on a 
big willow-tree near by hung the rock-a-by baby 
upon the tree-top and when the wind blew the 
cradle did rock.” 

“Indeed,” said the miller, “I wish I had a 
willow-tree and a rock-a-by baby, for I’m a very 
lonely man. Nobody grinds his corn at my old 
mill. It is all taken to town and ground by 
electricity and I and my old mill are forgotten. 
Time has changed everything.” 

“But why did jou go skating.^” asked Puss, 
for he could not understand why this old miller 
should wish to skate. 

“I was foolish,” replied the old man. “I was 
anxious to cross to the other side to buy sugar 
for my coffee. So I started across, and — well, 
you know the rest. The ice was thin and I 
fell in. ” 

Then the old miller turned back into his mill. 
“Come in and rest,” he said. So Puss gave his 
horse a bag of oats and went inside, and in the 
next story I’ll tell you what happened in the 
old mill. 


MORE ABOUT ROCK-A-BY BABY 


I N the last story, you remember, I told you 
all about the foolish miller who lived upon 
the River Dee and who went skating when the 
ice was thin, and so fell in and got “pneu- 
mony-e”! Well, after he invited Puss to come 
into the old mill, he brought out a chair and 
asked our little traveler to sit down and tell him 
more about the rock-a-by baby whose cradle 
swung on the willow-tree by his brother’s mill 
in Old Mother Goose Land. 

“I might as well begin at the beginning and 
go right on to the end,” said Puss, crossing one 
leg and stroking his whiskers like a regular story- 
teller. “You see, your brother was very busy 
grinding corn all day, for in the morning the 
farmers would leave it and then call for it in 
the evening. So all day long he would have 
nobody to talk to except, as I told you, his two 
small friends, the rat and the mouse. And the 
baby, of course, but it couldn’t talk. It would 
only coo from the tree-top and he would coo 
back to it, and then he would go inside the mill 
and grind his corn. And the little mouse would 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 

watch him, and so would the rat, but they were 
the only live things he saw all day. And in the 
evening the mother of the baby would come up 
from the town and take down the cradle and 



carry cradle and baby to her little house close 
by. And she would thank the miller so sweetly 
for feeding her little boy at noontime, and the 
miller would say: ‘Oh, don’t mention it! When 
he grows up I shall let him work for me, and 
when I die he shall have the old mill,’ and then 
she would smile and sing to her baby boy: 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


“‘Heigh, little baby boy, mother is here; 

What has the robin bird sung to you, dear.^ 

Lonely has mother been down in the town. 

Sewing a bonnet and stitching a gown. 

Softly she sang to herself as the clock 
Went ticky-tock, ticky-tock, ticky-tock, tock. 

Soon ’twill be time for mother to see 
Her baby boy up in the old willow-tree!’ 

“And then she would kiss him and swing him 
in her arms, and after that slie’d hurry home, 
leaving the old miller gazing after her until she 
disappeared at the turn in the road. This is 
one of my favorite adventures,” and little Puss, 
Junior, looking into the miller’s face, saw that 
there were tears on his cheeks. 

“I think,” said the miller, with a sad smile, 
“I shall go to see my brother as soon as my 
rheumatism gets well, for I am lonely here, for 
no one comes with corn any more. Yes, I will 
go to see him very soon, for I must see the rock- 
a-by baby upon the tree-top, and down in the 
village the tick-tocky clock.” 

“Come with me,” said Puss. “You shall ride 
behind me on my Good Gray Horse.” But 
the miller answered that he must wait until his 
rheumatism was cured, so Puss said good-by and 
rode away. 


THE FLY-MAN 


H, but it was a fine morning, as Puss, 



Vy Junior, on his Good Gray Horse, trotted 
along Motor Goose Road in New Mother Goose 
Land. And how crowded was the I'oad! Auto- 
mobiles were thick as berries in June and Puss 
had some difficulty in avoiding a collision. 

“Deary me!’’ he said, aloud, “this is terrible! 
Now in good Old Mother Goose Land one never 
was bothered like this. One didn’t hear a horn 
screech on one side and then on the other. Nor 
did one have to travel through clouds of dust. 
Oh, dear me!” And I’m sad to say that our 
little traveler began to grow very discontented. 

And the reason for all this crowd was that 
the County Fair was being held that day, and 
so, of course, every one was going to it. And 
so was Puss, Junior. Yes, sir! He was going to 
see the horse-races and the prize pigs and the 
mammoth cabbages and the funny side-shows 
where the skeleton man sits next to the fat 
woman and the other freaks look as solemn as 
they can at the curious country folk who buy 
the tickets. 


101 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


And after a little while he met Simple Simon, 
who was watching an air-ship sailing by, and 
when the pilot saw Puss, Junior, he brought 



his machine down to earth close to Simple 
Simon. 

And just then a little bird began to sing — 
that same little bird who every once in a while 
102 



IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


sings these New Mother Goose Melodies you 
read in these stories, and sometime I’m going 
to tell who the little bird is. Well, anyway, 
this is the song she sang: 

“Simple Simon met a fly-man 
Going to the Fair; 

Said Simple Simon to the fly-man, 

‘Can you fly anywhere?’ 

“Said the fly-man to Simple Simon, 

‘I fly high as the sky!’ 

Said Simple Simon to the fly-man, 

‘My goodness, that is high! 

“‘If you should chance to pass the moon. 

My good sir, won’t you please 
Just stop on it and get a bit 
For me of nice green cheese?’” 

“My dear Simple Simon,” laughed the aero- 
naut, “the Man in the Moon is only making 
curds and whey, so IVe heard. The Cow That 
Jumped Over the Moon is with him now, and 
he makes no more green cheese.” 

And after that Puss tied his Good Gray Horse 
to a tree and crept through a little hole in the 
fence next to the cage where the dancing bear 
was kept, and just then something happened, 
but what it was you must wait to hear in the 
next story, for there is no more room in this one. 


THE MOUSE-CHASE 


Y OU remember in the last story something 
was just going to happen. I suppose you 
thought the trained bear was going to do some- 
tliing dreadful to little Puss, Junior. Well, this 
is what happened. As the aeronaut flew away 
in his air-ship, leaving Puss, Junior, and Simple 
Simon staring up into the sky — 

Little Miss Gertie 
Sat on her skirty. 

Eating ice-cream and pie, 

When a little gray mouse 
Ran up her pink blouse 

And made her j ump and cry, 

and then the little gray mouse hopped down to 
the ground and scampered off and Puss went 
after him. Well, you should have seen that 
race! 

Around and around they went, for they were 
still at the County Fair, you remember, where 
we left Puss in the last story, the little mouse 
squeaking away and Puss, Junior, panting for 
breath, for he had on his heavy top-boots and 
he couldn’t run very fast. 

104 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


Well, just as the little mouse was getting all 
tired out she dashed into the tent where the fat 
woman was. But, oh dear me, how the fat 
woman screamed! She was dreadfully afraid of 
mice, you know, and she was so fat she couldn’t 
run away, and so she just screamed. And by 



the time Puss came into the tent she had almost 
screamed her head off. 

But as soon as she saw Puss she stopped, for 
she knew the mouse would never stay in her 
tent with a cat. But she was wrong; but wasn’t 
it lucky she didn’t know she was wrong, for then 
105 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


she would have kept on screaming, maybe, until 
I would have to stop her in the next story. 

Now what the little mouse did was to hide in 
an empty candy-box that was on the little table 
near the fat lady, and so, of course, nobody 
could find him because nobody thought of eat- 
ing candy just then, most of all the fat lady, for 
she knew there wasn’t any left. 

“I’m sorry, madam,” said Puss, Junior, very 
politely, after searching in vain for the little 
gray mouse, “that you have been caused so 
much annoyance.” And then the fat lady be- 
gan to smile, for she was awfully good-natured, 
you know, and then she picked up Puss, Junior, 
and placed him on her lap and stroked his fur. 

“You’re a fine cat,” she said. “I wish you 
would travel with me. I think we could go 
into the movies and make lots of money. How 
would you like to see yourself in a moving 
picture?” 

“I never thought about it,” replied Puss, with 
a grin. “But, anyway, just now I must go to 
my father, the famous Puss in Boots, for he has 
sent for me. Perhaps some day I may be able 
to play with you. I’ve never tried the moving- 
picture business.” 

“It’s just grand!” said the fat lady. 

And in the next story you shall hear what 
happened to Puss, Junior, on his way to the 
castle of my Lord of Carabas. 

106 


THE LITTLE GOLD RING 


“ T HAD a little rocking-horse. 

And he was dapple gray; 

He was a gentle horsey 
And always loved to play. 

“He had two little leather ears, 

A mane of silky hair; 

Two amber beads were for his eyes — 

They were a pretty pair. 

“He had a little bridle, 

And a leather saddle, too. 

And every day we rode away. 

Perhaps a mile or two.” 

Puss, Junior, looked down at the little boy 
who had just said all this in rhyme, which I 
think was very bright of him, don’t you.^^ And 
then Puss asked, “Where is your little rocking- 
horse.?” 

But the little boy only shook his head. “I 
don’t know,” he said, at last. “I guess he 
runned away.” 

“Well, we’ll go and find him,” said Puss, 
Junior, kindly, and he helped the little boy to 
climb up on the Good Gray Horse, and then 
8 107 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


they cantered away, for you know it is much 
easier to ride a cantering horse than a trotting one. 



And by and by they came to a toy-shop, and 
in the front window was a splendid rocking- 
horse, and when the little boy saw it he said, 
“There’s my horsey, there’s my horsey!” but, 
108 



IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE lAND 

of course, it wasn’t; it was one which looked 
just like his, you know. 

But he wouldn’t believe that it wasn’t his 
own little rocking-horse, so kind-hearted Puss, 
Junior, went inside the shop and bought it. 

The little boy was so delighted when Puss 
gave it to him that he hugged our little traveler 
almost to pieces, so that Puss had to cry out: 
“Let go! Let go! You’ll squeeze my boots off!” 

After that Puss took the little boy home, and 
when his mother saw what a generous little cat 
Puss, Junior, was she gave him a little gold 
ring. And, do yoti know, he wears it to this 
day, although he is a very old cat. 

But, dear me ! I’m getting ’ way ahead of my 
story. I shouldn’t say a word now about Puss 
getting old, for he is only a very woung cat; 
but, then, I let the cat out of the big, as they 
say, when you say something you didn’t mean 
to say. 

“Well, I must be going now,” said Puss, 
Junior, and he took off his cap and bowed, and 
then he jumped into the saddle and said gid-ap 
to the Good Gray Horse, and away they went, 
the good Gray Horse flinging out his heels and 
Puss, Junior, waving his cap to the little boy 
on the front stoop. 

And next time you shall hear about more 
tilings which happen to Puss, Junior. 


A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION 


B rian O’LIN had no breeches to wear, 

So he bought him a sheepskin and made him a pair. 
With the skinny side out and the woolly side in. 

“My goodness! it tickles!” cried Brian O’Lin. 

And then all the sheep began laughing, and 
so did Puss, Junior, who had reined in his Good 
Gray Horse to look at Brian O’Lin as he sat on 
a rock in the sheep-pasture. 

“He wears them wrong side out,” said an old 
ram. “Our clothes have the wool on the out- 
side.” 

“Do you hear that, Mr. Brian O’Lin.^” cried 
Puss. “Do you hear what your leartied ram 
says, sir.?^” 

“I do,” replied Mr. O’Lin, “but it’s too late 
now. I can’t turn my trousers inside out, can 

IP” 

“I don’t know,” said Puss, with a grin. 
“You’ll have to ask your tailor. He ought to 
know.” 

Then all the sheep began to laugh. “He has 
no tailor,” said the ram. “His old woman made 
no 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


the trousers. He’d better ask her.” But Brian 
O’Lin said nothing. You see, his wife ruled 
him, as some wives do, you know, and I don’t 
believe she would have made over those trousers 
even if they had tickled Brian to death. And I 



guess he knew this, for he didn’t say another 
word, but flicked off the top of a dandelion with 
his stick and then looked across the field and 
sighed. 

And as he didn’t seem anxious to talk any 
more. Puss said gid-ap to his steed and went 
111 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


upon his way, and by and by he came in sight 
of a windmill whose sails spun merrily around 
in the morning breeze. The old mill creaked 
and groaned, and the miller came to the doorway 
and looked out. And when he saw Puss, Junior, 
astride of his Good Gray Horse he lifted his 
dusty cap and said good day. 

“The top o’ the morning to you.” cried Puss, 
Junior, who felt very happy. He had a cheer- 
ful disposition, which is a wonderful gift. You 
know the fairies always give us something when 
we are born, and the fairy who gave little Puss, 
Junior, a happy disposition is the fairy I like 
the best, and if ever I have a little grandchild 
I hope this fairy will come in through the window 
and give him a cheerful disposition.. 

“Whither are you bound. Sir Cat?’’ asked the 
miller, lighting his corn-cob pipe and blowing 
the smoke into the clear morning air. 

‘H’m on my way to the castle of my Lord of 
Carabas,” replied our little traveler. “My 
father, the famous Puss in Boots, is Seneschal 
to Lord Carabas.” 

“Indeed!” exclaimed the miller. “I, have often 
heard of your illustrious father. In fact, I have 
read a book about him.” 

“So have I,” grinned Puss, Junior. “And now 
I hear they are writing a book about me. I only 
heard this in Alphabet Town a day or so ago. 
But as soon as I reach a city I shall try to buy 
112 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


a copy, as it would please me to take one to my 
father. He is very fond of reading.’’ 

And in the next story you shall hear of an 
adventure which Puss has on the way to the 
castle. 


PETER REFORMS 


ELL, Puss, Junior, didn’t stay long with 



vv the miller, for our little traveler was anx- 
ious to see his father. Puss in Boots. So he 
bade the miller good day and trotted off on his 
Good Gray Horse, and by and by he came across 
Peter, the Pumpkin-Eater. 

Now you must remember Puss, Junior, was 
still traveling in New Mother Goose Land, so 
that if I write you a Mother Goose Melody it 
will be something different, although something 
like the Old Mother Goose Rhymes. Well, as 
he rode along he heard that same little bird, 
who had so often sung before, singing this song? 

“Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater. 

Had a wife and couldn’t keep her. 

And that’s ’cause when he was a boy 
He never would his time employ.” 

And just then Peter came in sight. He was 
quite an elderly. man, with gray whiskers and 
kind blue eyes. But oh, dear me! He walked 
with such a lazy step, and his hands dangled at 
his sides as if they couldn’t take hold of any- 


114 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


thing with a good, hard grip, all of which showed 
that Peter wasn’t of much account, you know, 
and a man who can’t provide for his wife is a 
poor sort of human being, for men must work, 
although women don’t have to weep unless they 
want to, although the old saying is that they must. 



“Good morning, Peter,” cried Puss, Junior, 
kindly, for our little traveler felt sorry for him. 
“How’s everything?” 

“Very bad, my good Sir Cat,” replied Peter, 
taking off his hat and rubbing his big hand over 
his hair. “My good wife is living with her 
mother, and of course she took the baby with 
115 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


her, and I’m lonesome; yes, I’m very lonesome,” 
and Peter rubbed his nose and winked his blue 
eyes. I think there was a tear in them, but he 
didn’t want Puss, Junior, to see it. 

“Why don’t you get work.^” asked Puss. 
“The man at the windmill yonder is very busy. 
He might give you a job.” 

Well, after a few minutes’ talk. Puss turned 
his horse about and took Peter back to the mill. 
And in a short time he had persuaded the miller 
to hire Peter. Wasn’t that kind of Puss, Junior.'^ 

So all day Peter worked at the mill, grinding 
the corn and filling the sacks, and that night he 
went to see his wife and baby, for the miller had 
told him if he would work well he would let him 
have a little pumpkin house near the mill. 

And Peter’s wife was so happy when she heard 
what Peter had done that she picked the baby 
up in her arms and followed Peter to the little 
pumpkin house, and pretty soon she had a fire 
going in the stove. And while she was doing 
this, kind, generous little Puss, Junior, went to 
the grocery-store and bought a lot of things to 
eat and brought them to her. 

And then they all had supper and Puss spent 
the night in Peter’s house. 

And in the next story I will tell you what 
happened after that, if any little boy who is 
inclined to be lazy will promise his mother to 
try to grow up to be a useful man. 

116 


THE YELLOW BIRD 


I WONDER,” sighed little Puss, Junior, to 
himself, as he trudged merrily along a 
dusty road in New Mother Goose Land, “how 
much farther I shall have to go before I find the 
way to my illustrious father, the famous Puss in 
Boots?” and our little traveler sighed again as 
he curled his whiskers and shifted his hat to 
the back of his head. “Whew! I’m hot!” 

“Well, it’s a very warm day,” cried a voice 
close at hand, and Puss, Junior, turned and saw 
a small boy with his school-books on his arm. 

“A diller, a dollar, 
x\n eight-o’clock scholar, 

What makes you come so late? 

You used to come at ten o’Hock, 

But now you come at eight, 

sang a little bird, but who the little bird is I’ll 
tell you in another story, for I don’t know his 
name. But I’ll find out, I promise you. 

“Helloa, Puss, Junior!” cried tlxe little boy. 
“I remember you — oh, a long time ago! It was 
in Old Mother Goose Country, and you came to 
117 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 


our school-house the day Mary’s little lamb 
made the children laugh and play. Don’t you 
remember how you bound up its tail, which 



got caught in the school-house door.?” and then 
he sat down on a stone and undid his book- 
strap. And then he pulled out a book, and what 
do you think was the name of it.? Why, Old 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes. And when Puss 
saw that he sat down beside the little boy to 
read the dear old Nursery Rhymes over again, 
for he was fond of them, oh, my, yes ! Just the 
way every little boy and girl is, and grown-up 
folks, too. And the little bird perched himself 
on the top of the book and sang a little song, 
and this is the way it went: 

“A boy and a cat with a feather in his hat 
Sat down by the road to read a book, 

And a little yellow bird, whose name you haven’t heard. 
Perched himself on the cover so he could have a look. 

“Oh, don’t you hear the bell of the school-house in the dell 
Ringing out its merry ding, ding, dong.^ 

Little boy, you’d better be a-saying A, B, C, 

You must hurry or you’ll disobey my song.” 

And then, of course, the little boy jumped up 
and ran to school as fast as he could, and the 
little bird smiled, because little birds can, you 
know — and after that he said good-by to Puss, 
Junior, who set out to find his dear father, the 
famous Puss in Boots. He had lost his way in 
New Mother Goose Land and had been trying 
ever since to find it again. But please don’t 
let this worry you, for I shall tell you soon— 
although I sha’n’t promise to in the next stor;^' 
— ^how he finds his father in the castle of mj 
Lord of Carabas. 


SING A SONG OF COOKIES 


A fter Puss had said good-by to the little 
yellow bird who sang such a pretty song 
in the last story* you remember* he traveled on 
for some time without meeting with an advent- 
ure. By and by, toward noon, he came in 
sight of a little cottage close to the roadside. 
So he opened the gate in the white picket fence 
and walked down the path to the kitchen door. 

Sing a song of cookies 
Heady now to bake, 

Four-aftd-twenty raisins 
In a raisin cake. 

Molly dear and Polly 
Are the little cooks 
In their linen pinafores, 

Reading cookery-books. 

When the cake was ready 
They began to sing, 

“Isn’t this a dainty dish 
To set before a king!” 

Bridget, in the garden, 

Hanging out the clothes. 

Ran into the kitchen 
On her tippy toes. 

120 


IN NEW MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


And, of course, she almost stumbled over 
Puss, Junior. “What are you doing here?” she 
exclaimed, angrily; but when she noticed his 
red-top boots and sword she smiled and said: 



“Oh, I’m sorry I spoke the way I did. Indeed 
I am. You’re Puss in Boots, I know.” 

“I’m his son. Puss, Junior,” he replied, with 
a bow, and just then the two little girls ran out- 
doors and tickled his whiskers. And this, of 
121 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 

course, delighted him, for cats, you know, like 
to be tickled under the chin. And then they 
gave him a big piece of raisin cake, and after 
that he said good-by, for a traveler may not 
linger, but must be ever on his way. And Puss, 
Junior, was bent on finding his dear father. 

So off he ran down the road, and by and by 
he came across a kind-looking, motherly old 
mooly cow. She had on a big blue sunbonnet 
and a gingham apron, and was eating grass 
spread all over with buttercups. Wasn’t that 
delicious.^ And I guess she thought so, too, for 
she never looked up until Puss, Junior, said : 

“Will you please tell me the way to the castle 
of my Lord of Carabas.?” 

But the Motherly Mooly Cow didn’t know. 
She only knew the path to the barn where the 
big farmer every night filled the bright tin cans 
with milk and took it down to the city for little 
boys and girls who had never seen a green meadow 
with yellow buttercups spread all over it. 

“Well, she can’t help me,” sighed our little 
traveler, and away he went to find his dear 
father. Puss in Boots. 

And in the next book he shall find him, I 
promise you, even if I have to go with him 
myself. 


THE END 




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